Bowling game apparatus



R H MORTON 'BOWLING GAME APPARATUS Flled Dec. 22. 1926 jaw@ PaternalVNov. 22, 1927.v

' narran. Mon'ron, or 'wnYMoU'rmjiunsshcnusnrrs.

Y Ynownnm GAME APPARATUS.

, nppucationaiea December 22,1926; serial No; 156,454.

lo vention to provide an apparatus of the char'- CII acter describedwhich may be used within the parlor or other room of av house withn outinjury tothe walls of the room or to the furniture within the latter. i,f

To these ends l have provided anY improved bowling game apparatus havingthe peculiar features of construction set forth in the followingdescription, the novel features of the invention being particularlyvpointed out and definedin the claimsfat the close thereof. In theaccompanying drawings: 'Figure' 1 is a plan view of the' targetstructureof my improved bowling game apparatus. j

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the targetl structure shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is aside elevation Vof the' target structure shown in Figs. 1and 2. f Figures 4 and 5 illustrate 'one form of projectile constitutinga part of my imy proved apparatus.

My improved game apparatus includes a target structure comprising twovertical side walls 1, 1. To each of these side walls 1 is secured, bymeans of screws 2, an upright post 3, said postbeing disposed adjacentthe forward or ,front ends of the upright walls 1. At their upper endsthe Vposts 3 are provided with holes through which eX- tend the oppositethreaded end portion of a crossbar 4 herein shown as a round metal rodhaving mounted thereon twonuts 5,V 5, one near each end of said rod.Thumb nuts 6 mounted upon'the outer. end portions of the rod 4 clamp theupper ends of the posts 3 against the nuts 5. Pivo-ted-loosely on thecross-bar or rod 4 is a row or series of targets 7 yieldingly held invertical posi# tions with provision for rotary movement on theV `rod 4by any suitable means. As herein shown these targets 7 are strips o-fwood each formed with a transverse hole through it to receive the rod 4,said hole being nearer one end of the strip than the other so thatgravity actingupon theV heavierl end holds the target in'its normalvertical position.

Thetargets 7 are maintained spaced apart relativelyand positionedproperly with rela- 1 *y tion to the side walls 1, 1 by means of sleevescoV 8 arranged between the Vtargets .7 and at each end of the series.kcross-1mi' 4 serves'twopurposes,viz, as the pivotal support for thetargets 7 and` also as lmcans for connecting the forward ends of the twoside walls andfsupporting the. latter in vertical positions. I Y Neartheir rear endsI the side walls 1, 1 are formed with sockets or holes toreceive 'trunf nions 9 provided at theopposite vendsof a cross-bar 10.This crossbar serves as 'a con- ,Anec'tor for the rear ends fof the sidewalls 1,

1 andassists the pivot bar'4 in'maintaining the side wallsin verticalpositions. function, however, is to effect theY re-bound of therprojectile constituting part of the apparatus.One form of projectile isillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 and thisI form consists-of a disk 11V of'wood or the like made with an annular peripheral groovewithin which isseated an annular rubber tire 12.

The .game apparatus is used by placing the target structure shown inFig. 1 upon the floor near one side of the room,v or at the yend of ahallway, with the targets facing the Its mainy It willbe seen'that the iopposite side. of the room, or the opposite" end of thel hallway. Theplayer then rolls the disk 11 toward the target structure so as to enterbetween the side walls 1.V The disk thus thrown or rolledtowardthe'target structure eitherl passes between or strikesV one or moreofthe targets 7 beyond which yit passes tothe cross-bar 10. Thiscross-bar l0 vis positioned vertically from the floor a v distanceapproximately equal to one-half the diameter of the disk 11 so that saidcross-bar serves asa sto-p to prevent the diskfrom passing beyondtheside walls and striking the wall of the room.` The main function of thecross-barges stated, yis to cause the disk projectile. to re-bound Vandthe game is played with-the object in view.v not only of scoring a hiton the direct throw ofthe lUUV projectile but with the object in view ofcausingthe proj ectileto re-bound and again strike one or more of thetargets so that a los skillful player canscore two hits on a throw.

In practice I prefere to make the cross-bar 10 as a resilient` strip ofwood which is flexed by the impact of the projectile so that it willthrow the latter back against the targets ithe projectile is skillfullyhandled.

The targets may be numbered upon both sides, front and rear, so that thescore is computed by the number7 or .numbers on the target, or targets;struck bythe projectile as it passes into the target structure and uponits re-bound. l

The bottom edge 0f each side wall, which is constituted by a shoe 13 ofrubber or the like; serves the double purpose of protecting the floor ofthe room in which the apparatus is'used and also to provide a friotionalengagement between the side walls and the floorA serving to hold thetarget ap# paratus against accidental displacement.

TVhat- Iclaim is:

LA bowling game apparatus comprising a. target structure consisting oftwo upstanding side walls; a cross-bar adjacent the for- Y ward endsofsaid side walls supported at its ends by the latter in an elevatedposition; a seriesole separate targets'rotatably mounted on saidcross-bar and held in vertica-l position by gravity; a projectileadapted to be propelled over the floor or ground in a direction to enterbetween said side walls so as to pass under or adjacent said targets,and a rear spring cross-bar supported at its ends in a horizontalposition by said side walls negar the rear ends of the latter, said`springcross- Abar occupying a position in the path of thel projectileafter the latter passes the targets and operating, when'r struck byl 'aprojectile, to throw the latter back against the targets.

2. A bowling game apparatus constructed in accordance with claim l andwherein the front cross-bar is around rod having target spacing andpositioning members mounted Ythereon between the targets and at each endthrough the latter; means separably fasten-Y ing said side walls tosaidCross-bar whereby they are held against movement on said bar toward andfrom each other; a series ol' .separate targets pivotally V'mountedonfsaid cross-bar and held in. vertical positions by gravity but freelyrotatable on said rbar in either direction; sleeves mounted on `saidcross-bar for holding said targets in spaced relationship; a diskprojectile adapted to be rolled over the floor or ground in a directionto enter between said side walls so as to pass under or adjacent saidAtargets, and a resilient cross-bar adjacent the rear ends of said sidewalls having endtrunnions removably fitted in sockets provided `in saidside walls, said resilient cross-bar being in the path o't theprojectile after it passes the targets and when struck by vtheprojectile being flexed b-y the latter so4 as to throw the projectileback against the targets.

RALPH H. MORTON.

